LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- European Union member states have been criticized by the British House of Lords for failing to disclose the outcomes of meetings on immigration issues.
The House of Lords' EU committee has issued a report, titled "Behind Closed Doors," condemning the secrecy surrounding the meetings, which were attended by justice ministers from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, the EU Observer reported Wednesday.
The report said the officials discussed important immigration decisions at the meetings, which have been held regularly since 2003, but have not made their conclusions public.
"They discussed almost every aspect of EU policy of interest to them, and in many cases reached firm conclusions on the action which should be taken and the timetable for it.
"However, in the United Kingdom, the meetings went almost entirely unnoticed," the report said.
"Parliament and the public, and other EU member states, have a right to be told in detail what has been decided," said Lord Patrick Wright of Richmond, chairman of the committee.
